# Is clear nail polish the way to fix a loose stem?



## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

I left my Sav Bruna outside on my balcony overnight and when I brought it in the stem had become slightly loose. I've heard that you can paint the tenon with a thin coating of clear nail polish in layers until its tight again.

Is this the way to go? I have double and triple checked and I see no damage to the pipe.


----------



## RGD (May 10, 2006)

I would just bring it inside and let it rest. The cool air most likely allowed the wood to contract slightly - it should tighten back up. I also had one of my pipes with a loose stem - I simply smoked it and it tightened up. Another method that I've read is to use a drill bit that is ever so slightly larger than the stem hole. Heat up the stem and drill bit with a heat gun - insert it into the stem and it will expand it. Haven't tried it - but I would go with the resting and/or smoke out of it and see what happens first.


Ron


----------



## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

Its been a couple months now and it is much tighter than it was originally but still noticeably loose. I'll give smoking it a try because its not too bad and that may work.


----------



## Arizona (Jul 19, 2007)

Wrap a small bit of scotch tape around the bit where it inserts into the shank and this will give u just enough to snug it up.


----------



## pierredekat (Mar 7, 2007)

If you are feeling daring:

1) Heat up an electric stove burner to medium heat, about "4" on the dial.
2) Hold just the tenon over the edge of the burner -- rotating about 1/2-inch above it -- for about a minute.
3) Let the tenon cool for awhile.
4) Insert the tenon into its mortise and check its fit.
5) Reheat and resize if necessary.

If the tenon is now too tight, reheat and insert into mortise while tenon is still fairly warm. This should shrink it back down to the correct size.

If the tenon is still too loose, poke a slightly oversized drill bit shank, nail, matchstick-whittled-round, etc., into the draft hole while the tenon is still warm, and let it cool that way.

Most of the time, heating-the-tenon-and-refitting will do the trick. But basically, the tenon wants to go back to its original, as-cut size, so if the as-cut size is still the best fit, it will almost definitely work.

However, if the as-cut size is now too small, due to expansion of the mortise or whatever, the stem _may_ loosen back up again as the tenon tries to go back to its original, as-cut size.

If that is the case, _then_ you might want to consider adding material of some sort to achieve a snugger fit.


----------



## Dzrtrat (Oct 9, 2006)

I've heard you can use beeswax on the tenon to. I have a stem that is a bit loose but when I smoke it it tightens up. I personally would use the beeswax first before using fingernail polish but thats just me.


----------



## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

I have used beeswax in the past.
You may want to try just smoking it. The heat will expand the tenon/stem and tighten the junction


----------



## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I did that once and I didn't like the result. Yes, it was tight again, but when I take the stem out it is stuck and has to be broken loose, kinda like when you break a torqued bolt.

However, one thing I did stumble across recently in cleaning my pipes, if you take a fluffy pipecleaner soaked in rubbing alcohol and insert it into the drafthole and leave it over night, it causes the wood to swell a teeny-tiny bit and it doesn't really seem to go away after time. I don't know why. Maybe it has something to do with removing tar that has soaked into the wood and caused it to contract.


Arizona: What sort of luck did you have with the nailpolish?


----------



## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

I'm going to look into heating the tenon on my Benton churchwarden. I have the same problem as the OP, and I can't bear to think I won't be able to smoke it anymore.


----------



## tfar (Dec 27, 2007)

I just ran into this problem with my brandnew Ferndown pipe after skoming it ONCE! I left the stem detached from the shank overnight to allow it to air out. The stem was fitting less tight than those on my other pipes from the beginning, but now if I hold the pipe by the mouthpiece (stem) and shake it a little bit the pipe bowl will fall of the stem. Definitely too loose and definitely aggravating for such an expensive pipe.

What I did was to wrap a single layer of plumber's teflon tape around the stem. This takes care of the problem temporarily. Perhaps the wood will recontract. I hope so. I will try Madhatters method. Sounds simple enough.

Otherwise I plan to write to Ferndown (Les Wood) and kindly request a slightly larger stem after sending in my original one.

Till


----------



## wharfrathoss (Dec 27, 2006)

i've used nail polish & it worked fine-it was on a corncob though, so not a lot lost if it didn't-at 1st it stuck like someone said, but i found out the trick is to apply THIN coats of polish, letting them dry for a day inbetween-haven't had a problem since


----------

